Chesapeake Bay, virtually all its tributaries off-limits to shellfish harvesting

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the state has barred shellfish harvesting from the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay and nearly all of its tributaries.

Portions of the York River, Mobjack Bay and the Rappahannock River remain open. The emergency closure, enacted by the State Division of Shellfish Sanitation, went into effect on Thursday.

The closure is necessary to protect public health following the severe weather associated with Hurricane Sandy, said a state spokesman. The areas that have been closed have potential microbiological and chemical pollution hazards and are not safe areas from which to take shellfish for direct marketing.

Here's a copy to the link that shows the maps outlining the closed and open shellfish harvesting areas: http://1.usa.gov/SwtSPt